Scallop, Sea (Hotate) – U.S. and Canadian Atlantic

Sea Scallops are typically found on sand and gravel bottoms. They grow quickly and mature at a young age, traits that make them resilient to fishing pressure

In the U.S. Sea Scallops were once overfished but have since recovered, thanks to effective management. In Canada, Sea Scallops are also at a healthy abundance.

Fishers use bottom dredges to catch Sea Scallops. This fishing method has moderate to high impacts on seafloor habitats and results in some bycatch. There is some unintended catch of loggerhead sea turtles in the U.S. fishery, but regulations mandate “turtle deflector dredges” to help avoid killing or injuring sea turtles.